The Night Before Christmas
by WhiteLadyDragon
Summary: Jaden retells the famous poem by Clement Clarke Moore, while Syrus gets to listen. Consider this my little tribute for Christmas.


**_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX, nor any of the characters. Clement Clarke Moore's poem, "The Night Before Christmas", is not mine, either. **

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**_"THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS"_**

**_'Twas the night before Christmas, _**

**_And all through the school, _**

**_Not a student was stirring, _**

**_Not even a- _**

_"Um...Sy, what word rhymes with 'school'?" _

_"Why, Jaden?" _

_"I'm telling a story about Christmas Eve on Duel Academy. And I gotta find a word that rhymes with 'school'."_

_"Hmmm...well, there's 'pool' and 'drool' and 'cool'...are you sure you wanna do this, Jaden? You're not so hot when it comes to poetry." _

_"Nonsense! If all that Clement Clarky...I forget his last name...guy can do it, than darn it, so can I!" _

_"Sigh...Suit yourself." _

_"Now where was I? Oh, yeah! Now I know!" _

**_'Twas the night before Christmas, _**

**_And all through the school, _**

**_Not a student was stirring, _**

**_not even some drool. _**

_"A-ha! See? I told you I could do it, Syrus!" _

_"Oh, brother..." _

_"Okay, um, ooh, I got it!" _

**_Our old worn socks were hung by the chimney with care- _**

_"Jaden, we don't have a chimney." _

_"We don't? Oh, well. Guess we'll have to improvise!" _

**_Our old worn socks were hung by the stove with care_**

**_In hopes that Santa would soon stop there. _**

**_All the guys and the girls were tucked in their beds, _**

**_While visions of duel monster cards danced in their heads. _**

**_And Syrus in his 'kerchief-_**

_"Jaden, I don't wear a 'kerchief to bed!" _

_"You do, Syrus! You tuck all your hair in it, so it stays neat in the morning." _

_"Ahh! D-don't tell _them _that!!" _

_"Anyhoo..." _

**_And Syrus in his 'kerchief, and I in my cap, _**

**_Had just settled down for a long winter's nap. _**

**_When up on the lawn there arose such a clatter, _**

**_I sprang from the bunk bed to see what was the matter! _**

**_Away to the window I flew in a flash, _**

**_Tore open the shutters and threw open the sash. _**

**_The full moon reflecting on the new-fallen snow-_**

_"I don't think it snows here, Jay." _

_"Okay...then let's improvise again, shall we?" _

**_The full moon reflected on the dead grass _**

**_That lay dry in clumps of withered mass. _**

_"Ohhh, boy..." _

**_When what to my searching eyes should be_**

**_But this little red station wagon, with eight Flame Wingmen, see. _**

_"Hey, hey, hey, time out, Jaden!! First of all, he doesn't drive a station wagon, he drives a sleigh! Second, the sleigh is pulled by eight _reindeer, _not Flame Wingmen!!" _

_"Well, that's easy, Sy! First off, how can he fit all the presents in the world in just a tiny wooden sleigh? Santa would need something bigger, like a station wagon. And even magical flying reindeer can't go around the world in just one night! Flame Wingmen can fly so much more faster. They're heroes, so they help Santa pull his station wagon around the world zippity-quick! As a mission to make all the world's children happy!" _

_"If he's got a station wagon, and it's got a motor, then why would Santa need help pulling it??" _

_"Pppphhhtt!! Duh, Syrus!! Everyone knows that a station wagon can't fly in the air!!" _

_"Sigh...that still doesn't make sense...but I'm not going to argue." _

_"Great! Now, back to the story!" _

**_With a big chubby driver, still lively and quicky, _**

**_I knew from that second that it had to be Saint Nicky. _**

**_More faster than Blue Eyes his team they came, _**

**_And he whooped and hollered and called 'em all by name: _**

**_'Now, Freddie! Now, Larry! Now, Curly and Moe! _**

**_On, Sammy! On, Eddie! On, Mario and Joe! _**

**_To the top of the roof! To the top of the wall! _**

_**Now, dash away! Dash away! Dash away, all!!' **_

_"...You made up those names, didn't you, Jay?" _

_"Yep!" _

_"Good grief..." _

**_As dry leaves that before the Elemental Hero Tempest fly, _**

**_When they meet with an obstacle and mount to the sky, _**

**_So up to the dorm-top the team flew, _**

**_A station wagon full of toys, and Santa Claus, too. _**

_"Which makes me wonder: why do some call him Santa, while others call 'im Saint Nick? Does he got two different names to elude the papparazi?" _

_"Just go on with the poem, Jaden." _

**_And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, _**

**_the stomping and clawing of each giant cloof. _**

_"Cloof??" _

_"Well, I mean claw, 'cause Flame Wingmen have clawed feet, but 'claw' doesn't rhyme with 'roof'. So I changed it." _

_"Ohh...riiiigght." _

**_As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, _**

**_Right through the stove door Santa came with a bound. _**

_"Right through the stove?? How'd he do that?" _

_"He's magic that way, Sy." _

**_He was all dressed in fur, from his head to his knees, _**

**_And his clothes were all splattered with sludge and grease. _**

**_A bundle of toys he had on his back, _**

**_Why, he looked like a poor guy just opening his pack. _**

_"You mean a peddler?" _

_"Huh?? A what, Sy?" _

_"Oh, never mind." _

**_His eyes, how they twinkled! His dimple, how merry! _**

**_His cheeks were like apples, his nose like a cherry! _**

_"Talking about food makes me hungry. How 'bout a snack break, Syrus?" _

_"Jaden!! Could you just get this thing over with already?!?" _

_"Wow, you really like this poem, Sy? I knew you would!" _

**_His odd little mouth drawn up like a bow, _**

**_And the long beard on his chin was as white as the snow. _**

_"That is, if we had any." _

**_The stump of a lollipop he held tight in his teeth, _**

**_As he sucked and he took it to his tongue underneath. _**

**_He had a broad face, and a giant round belly, _**

**_That shook when he laughed "Ho, ho, ho!", like a bowl full of jelly. _**

_"You know, now that I think about it, he looked kinda like Sheppard with a beard and fur-trimmed suit." _

**_He was chubby and plump, a happy old elf, _**

**_And I chuckled when I saw him, despite myself. _**

**_A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, _**

**_Let me know that I had nothin' to dread. _**

**_He said not a word, but went right to his work, _**

**_And filled all the old worn socks, then turned with a jerk. _**

_"I bet Chum got the most, 'cause he had the biggest socks. My socks can only fit three grapes. Chum's can fit a watermelon." _

_"Don't be sad, Sy. You got something real good. He just had to put it under that shrub we took in from the woods with the star on it." _

**_Laying his finger on the side of his nose, _**

**_He gave a quick nod, and SWOOSH! Up through the stove he rose. _**

**_He slammed the door to his wagon, and gave his team a whistle, _**

**_And away the Heroes flew like the down of a thistle. _**

**_But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight: _**

_"Why'd you pause, Jay?" _

_"Well, now this is where the poem ends, but this last verse, I wanna say with you, buddy." _

_"Really? Aww, Jaden! Despite how rediculous this thing sounded, I'd love to help you bring it on home!" _

_"Great! With all we've got! On three! One...two...three..." _

**_"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!" _**

**_END _**


End file.
